The first gift Lindsay Benac received as a baby was a mini plush volleyball. By the time she could walk her mother, a former professional volleyball player, was taking her along to beach volleyball matches.
“I actually have a picture of me holding a volleyball that was just as big as me,” Benac said.
Benac, a freshman libero, from Long Beach, Calif., said she has always felt a natural inclination to play, which she credits to her family ties to the sport. In addition to her mother, Dianna Hoier, she has an older brother who currently plays for a junior college.
Her mother, who also coaches at her high school, said she noticed Benac’s penchant for the game at an early age.
“When she was about 4 she already knew she wanted to play volleyball,” Hoier said. “It’s exciting to watch her play. It’s fun to see it continue on with her. She is very knowledgeable in the game of volleyball.”
Benac wasted no time acquiring that knowledge. By age 7 she was playing beach volleyball, and at 10 she started playing competitively for a club team. As a captain of her high school team, Benac evolved into a dynamic player by contributing at the setter, opposite side and outside hitter positions.
While in high school, she gained experience as part of the elite club team Cal Juniors and became “one of the most skilled players,” according to coach Melissa Ohta.
“She was a sophomore when we won a gold medal at Junior Olympics, which is really the biggest tournament for club volleyball players,” Ohta said. “She played in Southern California, which had 10 to 15 of the top 50 recruits — maybe more — and she was playing against them every weekend. She has been exposed to high-level competition and big game situations.”
It wasn’t long before college programs began to take notice. With so many offers, Benac said her club coach ultimately influenced her decision to attend N.C. State and play for coach Charita Stubbs.
“Initially, I was looking at playing close to home,” Benac said. “Then my club coach told me about Rita. She reminded me a lot of my club coach, and I love my club coach. Rita watched me play, and she offered me a full ride. So obviously I didn’t feel like I wanted to turn that down.”
So Benac took a leap of faith and chose to attend school on the opposite side of the country. It was a gutsy move that has paid off, as she was recently selected captain of this year’s team.
According to sophomore and fellow co-captain Allison Davis, Benac is embracing the leadership role.
“Lindsay is a lion,” Davis said. “She brings the dominating type of leadership. She isn’t afraid to get on someone’s case when she feels like they’re slacking. She not only pushes herself but she’ll push her teammates.”
Benac plans to major in political science and hopes to one day follow in her mother’s footsteps — after law school that is.
“I want to be a lawyer,” Benac said. “After this, I don’t think I’m going to play any more volleyball, but I want to be a coach. I think I can offer that.”
Balancing coaching and law school will be a tough task, but according to Stubbs, Benac has the mind-set to accomplish both.
“Lindsay is a great competitor, and she has a knack for not allowing much to bother her,” Stubbs said. “She just steps up to the plate and says, ‘I’m going to get the job done’ and that’s the type of attitude we need from more players on our team.”
